The Eustace Diamonds
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"The Eustace Diamonds", published in 1872, is the third novel in Anthony Trollope’s Palliser...
The Rake is Taken (League of Lords #2)
8.0
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A gorgeous psychic. An unwanted betrothal. A tantalizing compromise. An independent hellion, a...
Historical Paranormal Romance Victorian
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Vol 2
9.3
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Sherlock HolmesThe Complete Novels and StoriesVolume IISince his first appearance in Beeton's...
ClareR (6096 KP) rated The Ghost of Hollow House in Books
Jun 9, 2019 (Updated Jun 9, 2019)
Nellie is invited to stay with an old friend, Kitty, from her stage days, and her wealthy husband. They have a large house in the country and it appears to be haunted. The maids won’t stay overnight, and Mrs Honeyacre (Kitty) is beside herself. Her husband is a big follower of spiritualism and the occult(it was very fashionable at this time), but just not in his house.
It’s a slow burner, but when the action gets going, it really does go for it. I’m no expert on Victorians, but the attitudes and daily routines rang true, and the characters were all interesting and on the whole, likeable - especially Mina. I loved how she consistently surprised the male characters: they expected a meek and mild, sickly girl, and got an outspoken and independent woman instead.
I hadn’t realised when I began to read this, that it was the fourth in a series. I didn’t feel that I missed anything by not reading the first three, and it definitely could be read as a stand-alone. However, based on this novel, I would think that books 1-3 will be going on to my ‘to read’ pile!
If you like Victorians, mysteries and possibly ghosts, then this is a book that you’ll enjoy. I did!
Many thanks to Sapere books for my copy of this to read and honestly review.
Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog
Jerome Jerome and Jeremy Lewis
Book
A comic masterpiece that has never been out of print since it was first published in 1889, Jerome K....
ClareR (6096 KP) rated Things In Jars in Books
Sep 22, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.
Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.
Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Searching for Walter
Book
Walter Bloy, an ex-merchant navy officer, died in 1947 shortly before his son Stephen's second...
Local Government, Local Legislation: Municipal Initiative in Parliament from 1858-1872
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In the mid-Victorian period, when British international influence and power were at their height,...
Shadow on the Wall
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In the countryside of Victorian England, Edward Atherton, rector of Thornham St. Stephen, has taken...
Circus of Wonders
7.0
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1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell picks violets for a living. Set apart by her...